CBC Radio One is the English-language news and information radio network of the publicly owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial-free and offers local and national programming. It is available on AM and FM to 98 percent of Canadians and overseas over the Internet, and through mobile apps.

A modified version of Radio One, with local content replaced by additional airings of national programming, is available on Sirius XM Satellite Radio channel 169. It is downlinked to subscribers via SiriusXM Canada and its U.S.-based counterpart, Sirius XM Satellite Radio.

In 2010, Radio One reached 4.3 million listeners each week. It was the largest radio network in Canada.[1]

Beginning in 1944, the CBC operated two English-language radio services: the original network became the Trans-Canada Network, and a second network, the Dominion Network, was established with CJBC in Toronto as its flagship. With the exception of CJBC, all 35 stations on the CBC Dominion Network were privately owned affiliates. Its programming tended to be lighter than that of the Trans-Canada Network, carrying more American programming in its schedule. The Dominion Network operated only in the evenings, freeing affiliates to air local programming during the day.

Until 1958, the CBC was both a broadcaster, and the principal broadcast regulator in Canada. It used this dual role to take most of Canada's clear-channel frequencies on the AM dial.

In 1962, the Dominion Network was dissolved and within a few years CJBC became a French-language station broadcasting the programming of Radio-Canada.

In 1960, CBC began running distinct programming on its three existing FM English-language stations, which had been providing simulcasts of programming on its AM stations. The stations, located in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, broadcast a monoaural FM signal. Programming consisted mostly of classical music. The stations were linked by CN/CP Telecommunications via land-line and microwave. This service was discontinued in 1962, but resumed in 1964 in stereo. Eventually, a national satellite-distributed network of stereo FM stations was established. In 1975, the FM network was called CBC Stereo, and the AM service was designated CBC Radio.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, CBC Radio increased its current affairs and documentary content with an initiative known as the "Radio Revolution", using more ambitious, live coverage of news and current affairs including listeners as well as experts. The change began with national shows such as As It Happens.[2] The change spread to CBC regional morning shows which developed three hours of live radio combining "survival information", about news, weather and traffic, with interviews and documentaries about local and national issues. CBC Radio Winnipeg was the first to embrace the format followed by Information Morning in Halifax, a move which increased audience and attracted coverage in Time Magazine.[3]

CBC Radio stopped running commercials in 1974. Until 1995, the network signed off the air between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. daily (5:00 a.m. weekdays on its Toronto flagship station, CBL)– in that year, it launched an overnight program, CBC Radio Overnight, which airs international news and documentary programs. In the early 1990s, the CBC began offering selected programs on the Internet.[4] In September 1996, the network formally launched live audio streaming of both CBC Radio and CBC Stereo.[4]

Since the 1980s, many of the CBC's AM stations moved to FM in response to complaints of poor AM reception. This meant that the old distinction between the AM "Radio" network and the FM "Stereo" network was no longer accurate, even though many of the FM "Radio" stations broadcast in mono only. As a result, in 1997 CBC Radio became CBC Radio One and CBC Stereo became CBC Radio 2 (it is now CBC Music). Although some Radio One stations still broadcast on AM as of 2018, because of issues with urban reception of AM radio signals many of the remaining AM stations have added FM rebroadcasters in major urban centres within their broadcast area.

The channel was added to the Sirius lineup in 2005 and the XM lineup in 2013.

CBC Radio One today

From 2004 until early 2007, CBC Radio One promotional spots were announced by Canadian actress Shauna MacDonald, also known as "Promo Girl". Toronto-born Jeremy Harris took over from MacDonald. Until fall 2005, promos ended with one of two slogans: either "Because sometimes a picture needs a thousand words" or "Hear the big picture". Until early 2015, the slogan was "Canada Lives Here." The slogan was not replaced.

CBC Radio One stations

Only stations with a primary production centre, producing at least one local program, are listed below. Most of these stations are licensed as separate broadcast undertakings. Stations not considered primary production centres may have local content which is limited to local news updates. Each station also has a significant number of rebroadcasters in smaller communities within its service area; those are listed in each primary station's article.

Shortwave relays of Radio One

Both transmitters broadcast 1 kW ERP signals on a fixed frequency of 6160 kHz. Some DXers have been able to log both transmitters simultaneously, but this is a rare occurrence due to the distance between the transmitters.

The objective of the CBC transmissions on SW is also provide information to listeners in isolated and distant parts of the country which other usual forms of broadcast or communications are not well covered. During appropriated periods of radio propagation, the signals can reach other countries, as well the reception can turn difficult in dense populated areas due Electromagnetic interference.

CBC Radio One schedule

Most schedules include hourly news readings that run from 6–12 minutes on the top of the hour except for major programming like the 6:00 p.m. news show and Cross Country Checkup. Some mid-day programs include only brief 90-second "information updates".

On statutory holidays, local programming is replaced by special provincial programming or regional programs are broadcast provincewide on a rotating basis. In the summer months of July and August, some programming is temporarily shortened and/or replaced by special summer series. On Christmas Day, the majority of the day's programming is replaced with predominately holiday music showcases. During the CBC's labour dispute, most of the schedule was temporarily replaced by a mix of repeat airings of recent CBC programs, BBC World news programming, and music from the CBC service Galaxie.

Stations in the Canadian territories air a significantly different schedule with expanded local programming that includes a number of programs in local Indigenous languages. They air most of the core CBC Radio One schedule, although some programs may air in abbreviated versions (see CBC North for further information).

On January 17, 2007, CBC announced some changes to the network's schedule to begin in April. Among them, Freestyle and The Arts Tonight were merged into Q, an arts magazine show hosted by Jian Ghomeshi, Global Village was discontinued and some of its features were merged into Dispatches, and Between the Covers moved exclusively online as a podcast.[5] Reasons given for the schedule changes are said to be based on audience research, however some negative reaction has been seen.[6][7]

Sirius XM

The Radio One feed on Sirius XM Satellite Radio largely follows the Eastern Time schedule, and has no local programming, with repeats of other shows in time slots that would normally be occupied by local programming. As a consequence of using a single feed, most national programming outside the Eastern Time Zone is heard earlier or later than the regional outlet on terrestrial radio - for example: The World at Six is heard on Sirius XM as early as 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time in Vancouver, and as late as 7:30 p.m. Newfoundland Time in St. John's.

Programs produced by NPR and PRI are not heard on CBC Radio One's Sirius XM service, as these are covered by channels programmed by NPR and PRI. In addition, the programs featured on CBC Radio Overnight are not heard on the Sirius XM feed. In these cases, as with the regional programming slots, repeats of earlier national programs are heard, as well as some CBC Radio 2 programming (such as Deep Roots).

Podcasting

Many CBC Radio programs are also distributed in podcast versions. In addition, the service has also created several programs which are distributed exclusively as podcasts. Original podcasts include Campus, a program devoted to stories about college and university student life; Someone Knows Something, which presents information about criminal cold cases; Uncover, an investigative journalism project; Missing and Murdered, which delves into stories of missing and murdered Indigenous women; and Back Story, in which foreign correspondents talk about the news stories they have covered.[11]

Selected episodes from the podcasts may also sometimes air terrestrially on CBC Radio One as substitute programs, such as during the summer season or when a regularly scheduled program is preempted due to a statutory holiday.

Schedule

The network's base schedule is noted here, and applies only to CBC Radio One's regional outlets. Scheduling of weekend programs highlighted in red varies from station to station due to time zone differences created by the fact that Cross Country Checkup airs live across Canada.

Other schedule notes

Weekdays: Some stations in major markets begin their local morning programs at 5:30 a.m., preempting the final half-hour of CBC Radio Overnight. Most of the same stations also begin their local afternoon programs at 3:00 pm, preempting the strip of programs in the 3:00-hour.

Saturdays: Due to scheduling issues created by time zone differences, stations in Atlantic Canada air À Propos at 6:00 p.m. (all times Atlantic Time), The World This Weekend at 7:00, Laugh Out Loud at 7:30 pm, Vinyl Tap at 8:00 pm, and Saturday Night Blues at 10:00 pm. The remainder of the Saturday schedule continues from 11:00 p.m. onward.

Sundays: Sunday afternoon scheduling varies from station to station, as Cross Country Checkup airs live across Canada at 4:00 pm. Eastern time. Additional local arts programming is aired in Atlantic Canada during the 4:00 – 5:00 (AT) hour. The remainder of the day's schedule is pushed back by one hour, with the first hour of that night's edition of CBC Radio Overnight pre-empted.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, because Radio Noon starts immediately after Q, the final half-hour on Fridays does not air. Instead, an abbreviated localized version of Deep Roots airs at 3:30/3:00. Also, because On the Go starts at 4:00/3:30, the programs listed in the 3:30/3:00-hour are pre-empted. However, except for The Choice and And the Winner Is..., those pre-empted shows can be heard at other times throughout the week. And finally, the second edition of The World This Hour does not air at 5:30/5:00, instead going straight into The Fisheries Broadcast.